Chapter 37 Marriage Law (Part Two) ...
Everyone was shocked to learn that Choi Bo-joo, a young-looking girl, would talk about such a topic, and they gasped in astonishment.
Some nosy people started mocking Cui Baozhu.
"You're just a skinny little girl, do you think you can fight back for me when my man beats me?"
These words immediately resonated with those around them.
Many people believe that it is perfectly normal for men to hit women in marriage; it is commonplace.
Some had received mediation from the Women's Federation in their hometowns, and most of them were advised to reconcile rather than separate.
Unexpectedly, he heard similar information in the army and couldn't help but make a move on the young-looking Cui Baozhu.
Cui Baozhu hadn't expected to face this situation; the naive young girl had no idea how complicated the actual circumstances were.
Qin Yueru immediately stood up and called out in the direction of the voice:
"Whose family member just spoke? Our Women's Federation protects the rights of women and children. Men who hit women must be seriously educated. If there is any situation, come and report it to me immediately, and I will explain it to the military leaders."
Upon hearing that it would affect their husbands' work, the group quickly shut their mouths, avoiding the opinions from the stage.
Qin Yueru took a deep breath helplessly, wishing so much that someone would actually step forward.
Sometimes, if you can't stand on your own two feet, the help of others is limited.
Qin Yueru gave Cui Baozhu a look, signaling her to continue, and then sat down.
Encouraged, Cui Baozhu, holding her breath, delivered the prepared content according to the planned procedure.
"In the situations I mentioned earlier, everyone can seek help from our Women's Federation workers."
"Now, I'd like to talk to you about the contents of the Marriage Law. Its first article abolishes the feudal marriage system that was based on arranged marriages, forced marriages, male chauvinism, and disregard for the interests of children..."
Article Two: Bigamy and concubinage are prohibited. Child brides are prohibited. Interference with widows' freedom of marriage is prohibited...
Miya hadn't expected that she was involved, and she shuddered in fright.
She had just learned from snippets of conversation among those around her that breaking the law could lead to being arrested and imprisoned.
The thought of how she had ignored her third brother's advice and insisted on using her status as a child bride to find a place to settle down made her break out in a cold sweat.
Third Brother didn't lie to me.
Fortunately, Mia no longer insists on her original identity.
It's more terrifying to be arrested and imprisoned than to have a place to live.
Just as Miya was lost in her own thoughts, her arm suddenly touched something, and she couldn't help but let out a soft cry.
"Why!"
"What are you thinking about, Miya?"
Turning her head, she saw it was her friend Da Ni. Miya let out a sigh of relief and chuckled, "Hehe, I just didn't expect the law to be so involved."
“I’ve never heard of it either,” Dani said with the same expression, a hint of excitement in her eyes.
Compared to her, Erni's expression was easier to understand, as if she had already found a way to resist the evil forces.
"If I had known it was against the marriage law, I should have sent a report right away when I left..."
Before Erni could finish speaking, Dani covered her mouth with her hand, and she could only let out a muffled groan.
Miya glanced at the two sisters with a puzzled look, then gradually turned her attention to the stage.
Cui Baozhu hadn't forgotten the main purpose of the literacy class. When she wrote down the legal provisions that were closely related to everyone, she immediately wrote the keywords on the blackboard.
The dry and boring legal provisions only attract people's attention at the very beginning.
As Cui Baozhu mentioned the third point, everyone's interest gradually waned, and they began to talk to themselves.
She immediately realized the time was right and returned to her seat.
At this moment, Qin Yueru stepped forward, struck the drum behind her, and attracted everyone's attention.
"I believe that after listening for a while, everyone must feel that what we are saying about the Marriage Law is dry and boring. Now we will use examples that have happened to show you exactly what actions are illegal."
Just as everyone was filled with doubt, the little girl sitting next to Qin Yueru suddenly sang a section of the Shaanxi folk song "Liu Qiao'er".
"Qiao'er, I was betrothed to the Zhao family when I was a child. I don't know Zhu'er. How can I marry him?"
The sudden singing segment piqued the curiosity of everyone in the audience, who all peered towards the stage.
Immediately afterwards, Cui Baozhu stood up and pointed the stick in her hand at the word "contractual arrangement" on the blackboard.
"Did everyone hear the song clearly just now?"
Cui Baozhu was excitedly preparing to say her next sentence when someone in the audience suddenly shouted.
"I didn't hear you!"
Many people came specifically to listen to music and watch the show, and they burst into laughter, wishing they could hear more.
Qin Yueru gestured to the little girl next to her to sing the first line again.
"Qiao'er, I was betrothed to the Zhao family when I was young."
At the same time, Cui Baozhu wrote this sentence below the two words "contractual arrangement".
"Just now, our comrade Xiaoqin from the cultural troupe sang: 'Qiao'er, I was betrothed to the Zhao family since childhood.'"
“Being betrothed at a young age is an arranged marriage, which is not permitted under the Marriage Law.”
Cui Baozhu's voice was loud enough for the people below to hear clearly.
Everyone secretly imitated Comrade Xiaoqin's singing style, recited the lyrics, and then naturally connected them with Cui Baozhu's emphasis on illegality.
Those present were used to having matchmakers to help the two families find a match; before this, the children of the two families did not know each other.
Upon hearing Cui Baozhu's words, he was so nervous that his mind went blank, and he couldn't help but ask if it was legal.
"What if the two families agree to a marriage through a matchmaker?"
Upon hearing the question, Qin Yueru felt an instant surge of excitement; she was finally seeing the effects of the reforms.
She quickly stood up, struck the drum, and cut off the other noises.
"If your daughter and the other party's son fall in love through a matchmaker, that's perfectly fine; it's also a manifestation of free marriage."
"But if your daughter doesn't like him, but you do, and you force her to marry him, that's definitely not acceptable!"
The serious tone made my heart pound.
The person who was shouting noticed the stares from everyone and hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands, speaking incoherently in a nervous manner.
“It’s not my family, and my family didn’t force me. I was just asking out of curiosity. Otherwise, where would I find a suitable son-in-law?”
After thinking it over, the people around him agreed that it made perfect sense.
"Too."
"These days, besides introductions from acquaintances, you have to rely on matchmakers."
“Some matchmakers have a lot of good resources, so it’s perfect for them to introduce each other.”
...
The group quickly moved on from the topic and continued singing a segment from "Liu Qiao'er" on stage to warn everyone about illegal activities.
Finally, the story goes that a county magistrate abused his power to have a sham marriage with his wife from his hometown, and then married her in the city, committing bigamy and being sentenced to five years in prison.
Everyone gasped in surprise. Even the county head had been sentenced for breaking the law; ordinary people like them dared not provoke him.
Today's event served as a warning, but also presented examples of positive resistance that led to good outcomes, which everyone listened to with great interest.
As Miya listened and learned, she discovered that she learned even more and really liked this teaching method.
Even the usually mischievous eldest child listened to this.
That evening's literacy education, combined with the promotion of the Marriage Law, spread like wildfire throughout the entire unit.
The novel teaching method excited many people, but also gave many others a cold sweat.
The next morning, those who participated in the event in the family compound and those who didn't go gossiped together.
"I heard you listened to music last night and even learned something."
"That's right."
"If Director Qin hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known that there was a girl who resisted arranged marriage more than a decade ago. She was really bold."
"I think the man my parents found for me is pretty good, so what's there to resist?"
"Liu, you're praising your own husband, aren't you?"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
...
After the laughter subsided, someone scratched their scalp with a needle and said sadly:
"Sister, you're lucky. My own sister wasn't so fortunate. My parents married her off to a butcher's family, and she passed away in less than three years. She left behind two children, and I don't know how they're surviving under their stepmother."
As the saying goes, having a stepmother means having a stepfather.
“There’s one like that in our village too. Her husband is also a soldier. A while ago, things were chaotic, so she stayed at home with her parents-in-law and several other families. The villagers couldn’t stand by and watch her suffer. When someone tried to stand up for her, her parents-in-law immediately accused her of having an improper relationship with a village official. Who would dare to help her?”
Upon hearing this, the crowd fell silent instantly.
In vast rural areas, the offspring of arranged marriages are rarely successful; the vast majority of women and children still suffer.
To others, military dependents may seem to have a good life, but every family has its own troubles.
At least military families can get rescued by the army, but what about the others?
For a long time, the atmosphere in the family compound was somber and sorrowful.
Miya was affected by the atmosphere, and since she herself had been both a victim and a "perpetrator" before, she dared not show her face.
Seeing that Miya was so silent, Cui Dani pulled her up the mountain.
Liu Limei and her family also set off together.
The vegetables in the fields have grown quite a bit, but this still can't stop the frugal Chinese people from thinking about going up the mountain to hunt in the wild.
Especially with the recent rains, locals say there are plenty of mushrooms in the mountains, perfect for picking and taking home to eat.
To avoid picking poisonous mushrooms, Liu Limei even went to learn how to do it herself.
As soon as they arrived at the mountain, Liu Limei excitedly introduced the place to everyone.
"People in Yunnan love to eat mushrooms, and mushrooms grow abundantly in the area. The rainy season is the time of year with the largest harvest."
"Mushrooms can not only be eaten fresh, but also dried for a fresh winter treat."
For most people, anything that can be ingested is good.
The group followed Liu Limei excitedly, ready to learn.
Miya has also picked mushrooms, but according to her sister-in-law, the local mushrooms come in many varieties, so she still needs to learn how to pick them properly.
Tempted by the food, her mood improved significantly, and she seemed ready to make a big splash.
Before Cui Dani could even utter a word of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings of emotion and surprise), she quickly heard Da Wa's joyful shout.
The group immediately looked in the direction where the eldest child was, and upon closer inspection, they saw a mushroom larger than the eldest child's head hiding under a thick layer of decaying leaves.
Liu Limei immediately recognized the mushroom in front of her.
"See the blue hand!"
"Quickly! Pick them!"
As soon as the eldest child heard the signal to move, he pounced on the Bodhi seed, uprooted it, and handed it to his mother.
Holding a bunch of porcini mushrooms weighing two or three pounds, Liu Limei's lips curled into a wide smile as she excitedly introduced them to everyone.
"This is the local favorite, the 'Jianshouqing' (a type of herb), which is poisonous."
As she spoke, Liu Limei carefully pried open the edges of the mushroom little by little.
Under the watchful eyes of Miya and the others, the mushroom's wound gradually turned a terrifying green.
If they hadn't remembered what Liu Limei said about locals loving to eat it, they probably would have helped throw it away.
"But it's not poisonous when it's cooked, and it's even more delicious than regular mushrooms. Many locals love Boletus luridus."
Upon hearing this, everyone could no longer contain themselves and immediately began to take action.
Miya remembered that Da Wa had just found the location of the Bodhi seed, and immediately judged based on its growth habits, she walked towards the place with the most decaying leaves.
Da Ni and Er Ni followed closely behind, embarking on their mushroom-hunting adventure.
Liu Limei glanced at the old woman who was the last one by her side and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Be careful! Watch out for snakes. Don't go too far. Pick any you don't recognize, and we'll sort them out for you on the way back."
Upon hearing this, Cui Dani couldn't hide her smile.
"Then my daughter and I will thank you."
"Auntie, you're too kind. Let's pick mushrooms together."
In the woods, Miya searched through every protruding spot and actually found quite a few Bodhi seeds.
Occasionally, she would see unusually bright red mushrooms, which she thought were poisonous. But remembering what Sister Liu had said, she silently put the mushrooms into her basket and would sort them when she got back.
Erni was similar to her; whenever she saw mushrooms, she would stuff them all into her basket, giving her older sister no chance to stop her.
The three of them were very close at first, but as they walked, they gradually became quite far apart.
Miya had been looking down and bending over to search for mushrooms. Suddenly, she looked up and felt dizzy, unable to see what was under her feet.
Suddenly, she felt something poking her foot.
Upon lifting the thick layer of decaying leaves, I discovered several black lumps.
Miya looked at the black lump in her hand with a puzzled expression, and then smelled a faint fragrance.
Normally, she would throw away anything she didn't recognize.
But the longer she stayed there, the more she realized how little she knew. She decided to take it back and ask around, just in case it turned out to be something good.
With that thought in mind, Miya put the black lump into her basket and continued searching for mushrooms.
She quickly found a mushroom nest.
"Da Ni, Er Ni, come quick, there are plenty here!"
As soon as Miya shouted, Da Ni and Er Ni immediately stopped their search and rushed towards where Miya was.
When they saw the dense clusters of mushroom caps, the two were dumbfounded.
"That's too much."
"It's simply a mushroom paradise."
Before the two's deep, drawn-out gasps had even faded, the older child, drawn by the sound, stared in astonishment at the scene before him and shouted:
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